


Change of Plans (working title)

by led_lights



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Awkwardness, Divorce, Dorks in Love, Established Poe Dameron/Finn, Eventual Kylo Ren/Rey, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Good Parent Han Solo, High School, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Minor Amilyn Holdo/Leia Organa, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prom, References to the Beatles, Set Up, Song Lyrics, Strangers to Lovers, Teenage Dorks, Teenagers, Vintage Clothes, adam driver is beautiful, auto shop kids, ben needs a prom date, han is just lookin out, hux/phasma - Freeform, implied bisexuality, loner ben solo, poe and finn and rey are a total squad, wingman han solo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-28 22:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15716169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/led_lights/pseuds/led_lights
Summary: Ben Solo wants nothing more than to stay at home, quietly ditching Prom. He hates his school, and has no tux or date. Unfortunately, his negligence of planning ends up with him at his Dad's house, coming up short with excuses.Han Solo hatches a brilliant plan for his loner son to have some fun at Prom.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey friends! This idea has been sitting with me for awhile through depression, anxiety, starting school, heartbreak, and lots of fun teen angst lol and I finally finished the first chapter! 
> 
> My favorite Ben is awkward, sarcastic, sweet high school Ben, I sure wouldn't mind one of my own. This also is a teeny teeny tiny bit vibes from The Spectacular Now, but more in the Rey/Aimee way. 
> 
> Enjoy this and please leave feedback, it means sooooo much and i respond to everyone and love interacting!!!! :)

Ben Solo sat at his old oak desk that had belonged to his grandfather, half-assing Calculus homework and drinking an energy drink. It was mid-April, and he was deep in senioritis, having already gotten into school in Massachusetts. It was only a matter of time before the four years of shit he had endured at Naboo High School would end and he would enter a new phase of life, free of parents, judgement, and insecurity. 

It had been a hell of a year. Two of his three friends had discovered the joys of sex and began spending every second together, so he hardly ever saw Hux or Phasma; instead left with his brown-nosing lab partner/sometimes friend, Mitaka. He rarely got out of the house much, except to run in the mornings, go to the library, or buy food since the only food his mother seemed to eat was terribly healthy meal plans and granola bars. He had also been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety after a panic attack that caused his car to run off the road, so he hardly had any motivation to leave anyway. 

But the cherry on top of senior year had been the finalization of his parent's long-awaited divorce. He suspected it would bother him little, due to the fact that they had been fighting for years. But the divorce had hit him like a truck, and he suddenly began to question everything about life and love, something he knew little of. He figured life was pointless if his parents, who seemed like soulmates once, could not be happy. His Dad had left their home quietly, moving into an apartment outside of town above his auto-shop, and his mother stayed put, yet quickly announced her "new" girlfriend Amilyn Holdo would be moving in. The provocative coming-out and obvious affair of his mother had caused waves of gossip to spread throughout town, further alienating Ben from the kids at his school. He knew she meant no harm, and actually tolerated Amilyn, but it was still devastating. 

He chose to continue living with his mother, as she was closer to school, and he had always felt disconnect with his charismatic father, but he still visited every other weekend. 

In the middle of problem #30, his mother knocked on the door. "Hon, are you packed for tonight?"

He frowned and yawned, swiveling toward the door. "I'm going next weekend, remember?"  
"No, your Dad had to change. Do you remember me telling you this?"

"No!" He groaned. "I'll be ready soon, I guess." He sighed, realizing that he would need a new excuse. The prom was tomorrow night, and since he was scheduled to be at his Mom's, had planned on utilizing her lenient, hands-off approach to parenting in order to skip prom and get high in his car alone. His dad, unfortunately, would most definitely make him go. Shit. 

-

"Hey, kid.” his dad greeted in his grumbly voice as he crossed the threshold of his apartment. Ben mumbled a reply and threw his bags on the futon that he usually slept on. Han headed into the kitchen to grab some chips and soda as Ben set out his things. He shouted into the other room, “your Mom said it’s a busy weekend, eh?”

Ben sighed. “Yep, but, I uh actually think I’m going to pass. Dances aren’t really my thing.”

“What? You can’t miss out on your senior prom! That’s the best part of all of high school!” Han settled on the couch next to him, handing his son a Coke.

Ben took a sip. “Well, based on the way high school has gone for me it probably won’t be that great. Also I don’t have a date or friends, remember that?”

“Ben, there’s no harm in going stag. That just means more opportunity!” He raised his eyebrows and grinned.

“Yeah, I’m already having to to turn down so much pussy, Dad,” he said, sardonically. 

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up like that. I bet some chicks dig you. You’re a handsome young man!” He patted Ben on the shoulder a bit too hard.

Ben chuckled and looked away. He certainly hadn’t noticed. His tall face, pale skin, black, shaggy hair and giraffe-like form was far off from the strong jaws and curly blonde hair of the jocks at his school. 

“Aren’t your friends going? Are those two still dating, Hux and Fanta?”

“Phasma.”

“Hmmph. I never really liked either of them. Too cold.”

“Yeah, me neither. And no, I don’t know, I haven’t talked to them in months.”

“That’s a shame. You deserve better friends. Some of these kids I’ve had working at the shop this year are just solid. You know Poe Dameron?”

“Yeah, he’s in my grade. He’s pretty cool, I guess. Kind of annoying.”

“Yeah, well, I just love him. He’s been such a big help to me. And his two friends, Finn and Rey, they’re just great kids.” Han’s face suddenly lit up. “Y’know, I bet you could go with them! With Poe!”

Ben laughed. “Haha, I-no. I’m not going with people I don’t know. And besides, well, you know Finn is Poe’s boyfriend, right?” 

“Oh, yeah. Well, whatever. Go with the girl! Rey! She doesn’t have a date, I know she doesn’t. They’ve been planning all week, and they think I don’t listen, but I do.”

“I don’t even know who you’re talking about. She’d probably hate me anyways.”

“Oh, come on. She’s a big sweetheart. She’s super smart, like you, she loves music, like you, she’s opinionated, and charismatic, and very beautiful, too. I don’t mean that to sound creepy, it’s just a fact. I bet she’d take a chance on you.”

Ben thought it over a second, and knowing that his Dad wouldn’t relent, he figured this was his best option. Besides, Finn and Poe weren’t half bad. He had ran track with Finn in middle school, and he was a nice guy. And while he seriously doubted this mystery girl would like him, he rarely got the chance to flirt with anyone, so may as well take the opportunity.

“Okay, fine. Will you ask Poe tomorrow?”

“I’ll do you one better, I’ll call him!”

Ben shook his head, “no, that’s really not necessary…” his Dad already had the number dialed and it was ringing. A few rings in, he could hear Poe’s charming voice.

“Hey, Mr. Solo! What’s up?”

“Hey, Poe, thanks for answering, sorry it’s late, I have a bit of an odd favor to ask.” Ben groaned. Great. Not creepy at all.

“Yeah, sure, go ahead.”

“Do you know my son, Ben?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Well, he’s here with me for the weekend, and I’m forcing him to go to prom, and thought maybe he could join your guys’ group.”

“Oh yeah, sure! I mean, I’ll ask Finn and Rey.” The phone was muffled on the other end for a second. “They say of course!” 

“Oh, are they there?” Han smiled as Ben shook his head desperately, mouthing ‘I’m not here!!!!’

“Yeah, they’re over at my place now.”

“Oh, well, in that case, could Ben speak to Rey?”  
“Oh, yes he can!” Poe laughed on the other side of the phone, and again there was commotion. Reluctantly, both parties were put on the phone.

“Hello?” They both said at the same time.

“Oh, sorry, you go first.” Ben picked up on a deep British accent on the other line, which he certainly wasn’t expecting.

“Oh, that’s okay.” He nervously eyed his Dad, who was raising his eyebrows, signaling for his son to ask the question. “Sorry, uh, for my Dad and Poe making us talk, sorry it’s awkward.” He swallowed.

“Why is it awkward?”

“Oh, uh, well I’m, I was wondering if you wanted to be my date? If you wanted to go… with me? I know we’ve never met, but apparently it’s what I should do. My Dad says you're pretty cool!”

“Oh, did your Dad tell you about how I can change a tire faster than he can?”

Han shook his head, overhearing her voice. Ben smirked. “No, he didn’t. Thank you, that’s very good to know.”

She laughed. “Yeah, he’s a sweet guy. I guess he picked up that I was going stag.”

“Yeah, he picked that up on me very fast.” Ben coughed. “So…?”

“Yes, I’ll go with you. May as well, if you’ll be in our group. It’ll be very nice to meet you, Ben.”

“You too. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay! Goodbye!”

“Bye.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And when at last I find you  
> Your song will fill the air  
> Sing it loud so I can hear you  
> Make it easy to be near you  
> For the things you do endear you to me  
> You know I will  
> I will."  
> -I Will, The Beatles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to decide if i should watch "To All the boys i've loved before"... but I think it will make me too sad lol. PS if anyone out there needs something to draw I'd love a picture to add here... idk lmk

The next 18 hours flashed by in a chaotic blur. Ben tried to study and concentrate but couldn't forget his conversation with Rey. Sure, he had talked to girls plenty, but it had been a while. 

As a middle schooler he generally conformed, being the high achieving Organa-Solo son he was. His appearance then was boyish and charming, and he played sports and even had cool friends. But with the development of high school, his social anxiety seemed to best him at his cutthroat competitive school, and he lost any signs of popularity, growing alienated by his rejection of the norms and unsatisfaction with a performance-driven life. He naturally withdrew inwardly, burned bridges, quit sports, and focused more on his few hobbies. 

In sophomore and junior years he developed acne, a new music taste, a passion for typography and design, and signs of depression. And now, his skin was clear, he was clinically diagnosed, and he at least knew who he was. It was their own fault if people didn't like him.

But the loss of normality meant he had never found anything close to love or dating in high school. Aside from his unique looks, he was terribly awkward now, and seemed to stumble over his words more than ever. He hardly asserted himself socially or initiated conversations, preferring to talk to no one than to be placed in an anxiety-ridden situation. He had been to a few parties, flirted with one or two girls after a few beers, but that was mainly the extent. He hadn't talked to a girl on the phone with romantic intent... ever.

He suddenly found himself getting ancy- worried that she would hate him, or that his hair would get greasy, or that he'd be weird and awkward in general. Without sounding too eager, he was able to find out a bit more about Rey from his Dad, who was sitting smug seeing his son now invested in a school event. Ben learned that she was adopted, sang in the choir, and loved mechanics, hoping to become an engineer when she left for college. 

After a fitful night of sleep, he went through the motions of the day, leaving at noon thanks to senior early dismissal. As he walked through the hallway to the front of school, he thought he faintly heard his name being called. He glanced backward, seeing a beautiful brunette girl waving at him. He turned ariund the other way, expecting the girl to be waving at someone else, but she seemed to have her eyes on him. He squinted at her through his glasses: he hadn't met this girl before, she was very pretty, she was wearing a tan tunic and white leggings, and she had round tortoise shell glasses, similar to his, but lighter. 

As he approached her, he said, "Sorry, did you call my name?"

"Yes, I'm so glad I found you!" He suddenly recognized the accent and turned bright red. 

"Oh, are you.. Rey? I'm sorry, I actually had no idea what you looked like."

"Yeah! Rey Erso. I only know you because Poe showed me a picture."

"Oh, that's... I'm not photogenic, so I hope you still wanna go."

She laughed. "Yeah, of course. I just wasn't sure when you'd call... you know, I didn't give you my number."

"Oh, yeah, that definitely would get in the way." Ben shook his head, eyes on the floor. 

"I wanted to let you know I'm wearing a yellow dress, if you wanted to get a corsage or something to match, but it doesn't really matter. Also we're meeting at Takodana Sushi at 5:30."

"Oh, well, I can pick you up, if you wanted."

"Oh! Okay, yeah, that'd be great! I don't have a car or anything anyway."

"How are you getting home?"

"I walk. I'm only a mile away, really."

"Well, do you want a ride now?"

"Um, yeah, that would actually be awesome. I have a hair appointment in an hour." 

"Okay."

They walked toward his car silently, Ben continually glancing over at the girl who he somehow was getting to take to prom. How had he never noticed her before? She was beautiful: Pretty dark hair and straight eyebrows and lots of freckles. She seemed very confident and unique, even her outfit was different than what the other girls at his school wore. She seemed to like him alright; she wasn't going anywhere yet. 

When they approached the navy tahoe, Ben opened the passenger door and then slipped into his seat, turning the car on and skipping a few tracks on his Beatles Classics album before settling on "I Will." 

They drove more in silence: Ben humming along and Rey giving directions to her place. 

Then, suddenly, to his left he heard her beautiful voice sing the harmony to "love you forever, and forever, love you with all my heart..."

"You know this?" He grinned at her; most of his few passengers only could sing along to "Twist and Shout."

Rey just nodded. 

"Here's me." He abruptly stopped in front of a brick condo and she got out, closed the door, but knocked on the window. When he rolled it down, she said, "Can you be here at 5:30?"

"Yes, I'll be here. I'll see you then, I'm excited now."

"Good. Also, I'm really glad you called, Ben." She smiled and walked to the door. 

Ben exhaled, completely charmed. "Me too. Who knew Han Solo could be right?"


	3. Chapter 3

"God, this is ridiculous. What am I supposed to do now? I can't just look like a clown. She's beautiful, I can't not wear a tux!" Ben stared into the mirror in his only dress clothes he'd picked up from his house: a brown courdoroy blazer, a black dress shirt, and dark green pants. In other occasions it was nice, but not for prom. He just didn't get out much and therefore had never needed one. 

"Son, it's not as bad as it seems. I'm sure no one will notice..." Han tried to reason, failing as even he knew his son wouldn't fit in. "I have an idea, but I doubt you'll be interested." He quickly left the mirror and entered his closet, grunting and groaning until he finally emerged with a large brown box. 

"What is that?"

"Keep an open mind." Ben rolled his eyes. "This is my tux from the college days. Given, its around thirty... years old, but it would probably fit. Now, you'd have to wear that black shirt because I don't have a spare dress shirt, but I dunno, it might look cool."

"Yeah, you actually might be right." Ben opened the box, taking the musky suit out of its box. A dried red corsage fell out of the pile, and Ben looked up at his father's withered face. 

"Your mom's dress at our last senior formal was bright red. That was probably the last time I used this, actually. I bought a new one for the wedding."

Ben just nodded, uncomfortable with his father's memory. "Rey said her dress was yellow, do you think I should get something to match?"

"Eyeah! What'd you think you'd give her?"

"I-I don't know, I don't really know the protocol." Ben looked down, embarassed. His father had years and years of experience on him, while he had never had a single date to a dance before. 

"I tell you what, I'll go grab you flowers while you keep getting ready. Make sure your car is spotless."

"Okay, thanks for this, Dad." He half-smiled and started to undress, changing into his new-and-improved attire. As he looked into the mirror half-naked, he thought for a moment if he might have to show his skin at any time in the night. It went away quickly, but it wasn't completely outrageous; even if kids didn't have sex with their dates there always seemed to be hot tubs involved. But again, how would he know?

He stared at his body for one more second, frowning at what he saw. He was terribly self-conscious due to the blinding paleness of his skin and his lanky form, in some places marked with scars inflicted from himself that he'd rather forget. Hoping it wouldn't come up, he quickly dressed.

The tux was slightly big around the waist but fit well in his shoulders and arms, and slightly short in the legs (Ben was a good two inches taller than his father), but it was apparently in style these days to show a bit of ankle. Er, he'd read a magazine cover saying that. Who knew? As he stared into the mirror this time, he actually wasn't revolted by what he saw: he looked cool in all black, and the formal look seemed to suit him, surprisingly, since he usually stuck to ratty sweatshirts and jeans. It was always dark, but never sharp, polished, and masculine as he saw here.

He combed his hair down and shaved the small amount of black shadow he had and he was convinced he was starting to look the part. He clumsily tied his bow-tie (an outdated one to say the least), pulled on his favorite star-patterned socks, and tied his Dad's shoes when he heard the door open again. 

When he entered the living-room his Dad whistled mortifyingly, and exclaimed, "Damn, son! You cleaned up nice!" 

Ben just closed his eyes and sighed, his face turning red. "Did you get the flowers?" was all he could seem to say.

"Yep. A bunch of sunflowers, tastefully done by the head florist herself, and a yellow carnation for you, sir." He revealed the goods and Ben smiled, knowing Rey would be pleased. They weren't cheesy, at least, like red roses, which he would absolutely never give anyone. 

Tucking the carnation into his pocket, he noticed it was near 5:15. "Oh, I need to go, actually."

He hastily grabbed his phone, wallet (complete with $200 cash, an amount he'd never before posessed), the flowers, and keys. 

"You didn't clean out your car, did you?"

"Eh, she's already seen it."

"Have a good time, kid. I'm really proud of you."

Ben hugged his Dad and walked out the door. "See you tomorrow, probably in these clothes," he said in a monotone voice.

"Sure, kid, keep dreaming."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please like, comment, leave kudos, etc!!!


End file.
